The invention relates to a socket and particularly to a socket to be used in making connection to terminals of an integrated circuit.
In conventional technology, a socket for mounting and making electrical connections to terminals of an integrated circuit (IC) chip or unit has a large number of metal contacts mounted in and aligned in rows extending along both sides of an electrically insulating body. Lead legs extend from the contacts at the bottom of the body to make electrical connections to circuit paths formed on a printed circuit board or other substrate or the like, and the opposite ends of the contacts are disposed to receive and detachably, resiliently engage terminals of an IC chip inserted into the contacts at the top of the body, thereby to connect the IC terminals to the circuit paths by use of the socket. It is sometimes difficult to work with a large number of thin lead legs in the conventional sockets without injuring the thin legs and it is also troublesome to accurately position and solder a large number of the thin metal legs to printed circuit paths on the substrate. In addition, the thin lead legs are not desirable from a standpoint of strength.